Barcelona’s hopes of winning La Liga appear to be over following their surprise 2-0 defeat against Malaga at La Rosaleda on Saturday evening.

Goals either side of half-time from Sandro Ramirez and Jony sealed all three points for Michel’s side. The result leaves Barça three points behind league-leaders Real Madrid, who were held to a 1-1 draw by local rivals Atletico earlier on Saturday but still have a game in hand over Luis Enrique’s men.

Barcelona played the final 25 minutes of their match with 10 men after Neymar was shown a second yellow card for a foul on Diego Llorente - and there could be even worse news for the Brazilian forward and his employers just around the corner.

First of all, Neymar’s initial yellow card - picked up in the 26th minute - was utterly ludicrous.

The South American was hunched over tying his shoelaces, a foot away from where Malaga were about to take a free-kick. Referee Jesus Gil deemed this as an act of time-wasting and subsequently brandished the yellow card in Neymar’s direction.

That he was treading on thin ice after that booking made his decision to fly in on Llorente like he did all the more baffling.

The 25-year-old could have few complaints with Gil’s decision to show him a second yellow card - but he was fuming as he walked off the pitch.

Why Neymar faces a longer ban...

He will miss Barcelona’s next league match against Real Sociedad on April 15, but he’s also expected to miss El Clasico on April 23 for what he did to the fourth official.

Cameras showed Neymar sarcastically applauding Juan Campos and Neymar, per ESPN, now faces an even longer suspension.

Watch the footage here (at the end of the clip)…

Post-game report reveals what Neymar did

The post-game report said: "The player Neymar Da Silva Santos J, after being sent off, when he was entering the tunnel, and [sarcastically] applauded the fourth official."

Neymar faces three-match ban

It’s possible that Neymar will be banned for three matches for sarcastically applauding the ref.

That was the punishment handed to Sofiane Feghouli, with Valencia at the time, after he did the same thing back in 2012.